Just A Little (ch2)

So I literally just wanted an excuse for comfort/fluff of these two so I just made up a bunch of stuff. I have no idea how Tsuyu's hibernation actually works naturally, or for how long (I understand it can be forced/manipulated by freezing temperatures in battle, as demonstrated in the series, but I'm not sure about anything beyond that). As such, I made up my own little theory that I think is sensible.

Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.

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														Chapter 2.

When the heat in the girls' dorms suddenly stops working one winter evening, it's quickly determined that it's a genuine manufacturing misfortune and not the work of some villain trying to flush them out.

Unfortunately though, it's the middle of the night, and it's not such a serious issue that it can't wait until morning.

The six girls are woken from their sleep and informed of the situation via video call with Mr. Aizawa, who had apologized and requested they bear with it for the night.

And of course Momo is quick to offer making them all extra blankets or portable heaters, but they all respectfully decline, insisting she needn't waste her energy on something so trivial.

Mina, Tooru, Kyouka retire while seeming to shiver a little, but are majorly unfazed. Momo doesn't seem to mind either. She simply wraps herself in her robe, wishes them all goodnight, and heads off back to her room.

But Ochako was never worried about any of them from the start. She looks to the only person left with her now.

Tsuyu wears a long nightgown down to her ankles in the wintertime, but somehow Ochako doesn't think it will be enough.

Ochako herself isn't too bothered by the chilled air due to her own fluffy wool sweater and sweatpants, but she knows the cold might be difficult for her friend.

Tsuyu must know what she's thinking, because she meets Ochako's eyes and gives a little smile.

"Don't worry, Ochako-chan. I'll be fine."

But Ochako feels her stomach twist a little.

"You can't tell me not to worry, Tsuyu-chan. Yaoyorozu-san told me about what happened in the exam to get our practical licenses. It can't be good for your body to be forced into hibernation when it isn't actually the right time for it..." Her heart begins to sink. But Tsuyu takes her hand and gives a squeeze for reassurance.

"But it's winter. Technically it really is time for me to hibernate."

"But you've already done it..."

Ochako had asked her about it a few months ago before the first snowfall had even hit. Tsuyu had told her she'd trained her body to reduce the amount of hibernation time to only one week per year instead of an entire season. This way she wouldn't miss so much of her classes or training. She'd already taken her week off and had caught back up immediately after returning to classes.

But Ochako doesn't like this.

"So since you've already hibernated this year, then what will happen to you tonight, Tsuyu-chan? Will you go back into it again?"

Tsuyu puts her finger to her chin in the usual manner.

"I trained myself to get all the necessary rest during that one week. My body shouldn't feel the need to go back into that state naturally again until next year. But even if I did end up going into hibernation tonight, I'll wake up as soon as the heat comes back on and the sun is up tomorrow." She looks up into Ochako's eyes calmly. "I'll be fine, Ochako-chan."

Ochako sighs.

"If you're sure..."

Tsuyu gives a nod, then lets go of her hand.

"Well then, goodnight, Ochako-chan. Keep warm."

"Mm. You too, Tsuyu-chan..."

Ochako watches her walk stiffly back down the hall to her room, and she can't help but think that something about Tsuyu's movements are beyond the effects of being just a little cold and tired.

But she doesn't want to cause any trouble, so Ochako retreats to her own room as well.

It's been snowing all night, and a glance to the window confirms it's still going. Just looking at it makes her shudder now that there's no heat.

Ochako crawls into her bed and huddles up beneath the comforters, hugging the blankets to herself. The contrast of the colder air temperature and the warmth of her bed is actually rather nice.

But she can't fall asleep. Not when she's so worried about Tsuyu.

/She said she'll be fine! And like she said, she'll wake up as soon as the heat comes back! But still.../

She tosses and turns for at least an hour before she just can't take it anymore. With a grunt, she sits up straight and lets the blankets fall away.

"I gotta go check on her. Just to be sure!"

As soon as she steps out of bed and into her slippers, Ochako is hit by a blast of cold without the blankets to protect her.

"Uwaaah!" She shrieks and nearly drops to the floor right away, but settles for just hugging herself as tightly as she can. "Wh-What the heck...? Isn't this a little too cold...?" She shakes herself off and shuffles over to the door.

The hallway is dark and quiet and cold, but the snow from outside the windows provides a slight glow to guide her. Ochako slowly makes her way to Tsuyu's door, and then has immediate regrets.

"Wh-What am I doing? I'm just gonna wake her up... B-But I gotta know if she's really okay!"

She can't help it. She needs to know for sure so she can deal with this unsettled feeling in her gut. So she raps her knuckles against the door, knocking a few more times than intended due to a shiver.

"Tsuyu-chan? It's me. Are you awake?"

No answer. Which means she's probably asleep like everyone else, and that Ochako should just leave her be. But...

"Tsuyu-chan? I'm coming in."

She pushes her way in slowly and is met with more cold air. Her eyes go straight to the bed, where a bundle of blankets is all that's visible.

/She's asleep. I should just go.../

But her feet go forward, not back. She makes her way over, peering over the rise of the blankets until she sees a pool of long green hair.

She expects to find Tsuyu fast asleep, be it in regular slumber or in hibernation.

But instead she finds her wide awake, shaking and staring helplessly back at her. She's curled up against her pillow, clutching her blankets, visibly shuddering all over. When she opens her mouth to speak, her teeth chatter so much that she ends up biting her tongue and wincing.

"O...Ochako... chan..."

Ochako feels her legs drop as quickly as her stomach. She collapses to her knees beside the bed, reaching out to find Tsuyu's hands and hold them tightly.

"Ts-Tsuyu-chan! You're freezing!" She can see for herself now that Tsuyu is jolting, even with all of the blankets on. Ochako is plenty cold herself without any, but being a frog must mean amplified symptoms when it comes to the cold. She reaches out to touch her friend's face and finds her cheek just as chilled. "Th-This is bad! We've gotta get help! Can you move?"

Tsuyu barely manages to shake her head past all the shivering.

"Ochako-chan-"

"Then I'll carry you! We need to tell Aizawa sensei right away!"

"Ochako-chan."

Even when Ochako is at the height of panic, Tsuyu never raises her voice or tries to talk over her to get her attention. She simply speaks and waits patiently until Ochako is listening. Tsuyu lets out a shaky sigh.

"Y-You don't have to do any of those things. Besides, having anyone else see me like this would be s-sort of embarrassing..."

"I know, but even so, Tsuyu-chan-"

"Hold on. Let me explain. Don't get yourself so upset, Ochako-chan."

Her words make Ochako realize that tears have started forming in her eyes. She wipes her arm across her face and moves closer to the bed, squeezing her friend's hands tightly.

"Sorry, Tsuyu-chan. I'm listening."

"It's okay." Tsuyu tries to smile, but the shivering doesn't let it seem convincing. "Since I've already hibernated this year, the cold tonight won't force me into that state. But it's still having an effect on me. I think the worst it's going to do is keep me awake – just the opposite of what should normally happen."

Ochako listens attentively and tries to understand.

"So... because of your training, you won't hibernate now... but instead you'll be awake the whole time when it's this cold because of how uncomfortable it is? All night?"

"More or less."

Ochako looks her over again. Tsuyu has clearly been trying to keep the stutter out of her voice, but her entire body is still shivering beneath the blankets. Her hands are cold and dry beneath Ochako's, and her breath even seems a little white. Ochako would never forgive herself if she simply left her alone like this to shiver and suffer in the cold. Therefore-

"I'm staying!"

"...Gero?"

"That's right. I'm not gonna leave you by yourself like this, Tsuyu-chan. I understand it'd be embarrassing if I told Aizawa sensei or anyone else, but... but I can't just go back to bed and do nothing when you're like this!"

Tsuyu is quiet for a moment, curling up a bit more tightly when another shudder rakes through her. A tiny hiccup in the form of a 'gero' manages to escape her. Ochako's heart clenches when she realizes she's crying.

"Tsuyu-chan-?"

"Sorry," she mumbles, and a single tear slips down onto her pillow. "I wasn't thinking, Ochako-chan. You couldn't fall asleep because you were so worried about me, right? Sorry about that."

"You don't have to apologize! But... let me help, Tsuyu-chan. Please."

Tsuyu blinks her wide eyes up at her friend and gives a smile.

"There's no way I could make you leave now... And besides, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want some company."

Ochako breathes a sigh of relief. She gives another squeeze to her classmate's hands before standing up.

"Excuse me for intruding."

Carefully, she slips her hands beneath her shivering friend and moves her over just a little bit, making some room on the mattress. Ochako lies herself down beside her, thankful for the covers, but more thankful that she's been allowed to stay and keep Tsuyu warm.

She opens her arms wide, and Tsuyu rigidly inches closer. Ochako wraps her arms around her shoulders and back, pulling the blankets up firmly to make sure no cold air can slip underneath.

Tsuyu shivers almost spastically against her, no longer able to hold back. Her teeth chatter as more little 'geros' quiver out, her body gradually uncurling so she can press herself as close to Ochako as possible. She clings to her back, shaking so hard she can barely find purchase.

Ochako's heart hurts to see her like this. All she can do is hug her closer. She brushes her cheek against hers, rubbing her hands up and down Tsuyu's back to generate some heat.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually Tsuyu's shivering becomes less encompassing. She still trembles, but she isn't shaking from her core anymore. Ochako hears her voice again, timid and small.

"This is... kind of pathetic of me, isn't it? Just a little cold and I'm more or less out of commission."

Ochako eases back to find her eyes.

"That's not true, Tsuyu-chan! Everyone has a weakness. You have no control over yours. It's totally biological. And yet you still managed to find a way to reduce your hibernation to just one week so you wouldn't miss too much training. And for the record – this is more than just a little cold! Trust me!" She pulls Tsuyu close again, willing her body heat to transfer and spread. "You're being too hard on yourself, Tsuyu-chan. You're actually really amazing."

A little more silence, a little more shivering, then-

"Gero. Thanks, Ochako-chan." Tsuyu nuzzles into her collar, huddling up against her fully. The last of the major shivers die away, and only little tremors remain.

Ochako is finally relaxed enough to begin feeling a little tired, but she refuses to sleep until she knows her friend is definitely all right. She waits, feeling Tsuyu's grip on her back begin to slacken. Her breathing deepens, and her pulse slows down significantly. It even gets so slow that it becomes concerning enough for Ochako to ask.

"Ts-Tsuyu-chan? Are you okay?" She fears her body is shutting down completely or something like that, and Ochako is fully prepared to bring her to the teachers if she needs to.

But Tsuyu's response is calm, if not a bit groggy.

"It's okay," she croaks. "This is normal..."

"A-Are you sure? I'm worried, Tsuyu-chan."

"And I'm grateful for that. But I'm fine now, Ochako-chan. It's warm enough... that I can sleep..."

Ochako feels the tension that had begun to coil in her stomach fade away now.

"Thank goodness..." She finally relaxes, relieved that she'd been able to help her after all. If she hadn't been here, Tsuyu would've just suffered and shivered alone all night long, unable to hibernate because she'd already done so, and unable to sleep because of the discomfort. But Ochako's presence and her warmth had provided just enough comfort to allow her friend to rest.

She holds Tsuyu close for a few more minutes, feeling how her body slows down more than most people's would, even when they sleep. But Tsuyu's breathing evens out, and she has a smile on her face. Ochako all but melts with relief and snuggles up closer, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Goodnight, Tsuyu-chan."

"Gero..."

Ochako waits until she falls asleep, and then waits a while after that too, just to make sure she's really all right. Her pulse remains at a very slow rhythm, but she's stopped shivering completely now.

At last, Ochako closes her eyes too and cuddles close, keeping her as safe and warm as possible.

Sometimes there isn't a lot she can do. But sometimes, just a little is enough.

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A/N: I was a little sad we didn't get to see Tsuyu's room in the Room King episode, and I'm not sure if the manga ever shows what her room is like (if it does, I haven't seen it). So I'm just assuming Tsuyu's room is fairly normal. I at least expect she has a bed fit for two!